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‘Declining trend seen’: Pune GBS case tally at 166

Rapid response team experts: Need to maintain vigilance

So far five suspected deaths of GBS have been reported while of the 166 suspected patients, authorities have diagnosed 130 as confirmed GBS cases. (Representational Image)

Pune on Monday reported three new suspected cases of Guillain Barre Syndrome, bringing the case count to 166. Of these. 52 patients have recovered and been discharged from various hospitals. Another 61 are in intensive care units while 21 are on ventilator support. So far five suspected deaths of GBS have been reported while of the 166 suspected patients, authorities have diagnosed 130 as confirmed GBS cases.

Dr Radhakishan Pawar, Deputy Director, Health, Pune circle, said that a review was conducted and there has been a declining trend in cases. Pawar chairs the 15-member rapid response team for Pune circle, which includes areas under Pune Municipal Corporation, Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation and Pune rural.

A majority of the cases are from Nandedgaon and its surrounding areas within a five-kilometre radius like Sinhagad road, Wadgaon Budruk, Manik Baug, Nandedphata, Nanded city, Kolhewadi, Khadakwasla, Kirkatwadi, DSK Vishwa and Dhayari and Bajrangi Mala Vihir.

According to Dr Pawar, the team visited homes of 62 patients and the areas that supply drinking water. He said that in 26 homes, drinking water facilities were found to be inadequate and chlorine content insufficient. The review panel also stated that plasmapheresis treatment facilities were functional at Sassoon General Hospital, Navle and Deenanath Mangeshkar hospital.

The panel also decided to send food and poultry samples from the affected areas to the National Institute of Virology. Instructions have been issued to Pune Municipal Corporation to focus attention on the affected areas, Dr Pawar said. Instructions have also been given on collecting samples from patients who had diarrhoea from December 1 last year and sending them to ICMR-NIV. “We are also collating information about the number of cases of GBS in Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad in the last two years,” Dr Pawar said. The rapid response team includes experts from ICMR-NIV, health officials from PMC and PCMC, State Public Health Laboratory, Neurological Society of Pune and others.

Nadda gets update on cases

Union Health Minister J P Nadda on Tuesday chaired a high level meeting through video conferencing on the GBS situation with Prakash Abitkar, state Minister of Health; Hasan Mushrif, Minister of Medical Education and others. A situation update was presented by Maharashtra Government officials including public health measures taken by the State. The Union Health Minister reviewed the public health measures being undertaken by the state health authorities including testing and treatment of patients affected by GBS and said that the situation is contained and under continuous monitoring.. According to an official statement, Nadda also advised the State to work in coordination with the Centre to explore the possible causes of the outbreak to prevent recurrences in future.

Anuradha Mascarenhas

Anuradha Mascarenhas is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With a career spanning three decades, she is one of the most respected voices in Indian journalism regarding healthcare, science and environment and research developments. She also takes a keen interest in covering women's issues . Professional Background Education: A gold medalist in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a Master’s degree in Literature. Author: She authored the biography At The Wheel Of Research, which chronicles the life and work of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the former Chief Scientist at the WHO. Key Focus: She combines scientific accuracy with storytelling, translating complex medical research into compelling public and human-interest narratives. Awards and Recognition Anuradha has won several awards including the Press Council of India's national award for excellence in journalism under the gender based reporting category in 2019 and the Laadli Media award (gender sensitivity -2024). A recipient of the Lokmat journalism award (gender category-2022), she was also shortlisted for the RedInk awards for excellence in journalism-2021. Her debut book At The Wheel Of Research, an exclusive biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan the inaugural chief scientist of World Health Organisation was also nominated in the Popular Choice Category of JK Paper AUTHER awards. She has also secured competitive fellowships including the Laadli Media Fellowship (2022), the Survivors Against TB – New Research in TB Media Fellowship (2023) and is part of the prestigious 2025 India Cohort of the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey.” Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) 1. Cancer & Specialized Medical Care "Tata Memorial finds way to kill drug-resistant cancer cells" (Nov 26, 2025): Reporting on a breakthrough for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease. Discipline, diet and purpose; How a 97-year-old professor defies ageing'' (Nov 15, 2025) Report about Prof Gururaj Mutalik, the first Head of Department at Pune's B J Government Medical College who at 97 credits his longevity to healthy habits and a strong sense of purpose. 2. Environmental Health (The "Breathless Pune" Series) Long-term exposure even to 'moderate' air leads to chronic heart, lung, kidney issues" (Nov 26, 2025): Part of an investigative series highlighting that even "safe" pollution levels are damaging to vital organs. "For every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 level, there was 6-8% jump in medicine sales" (Nov 23, 2025): Using commercial data to prove the direct link between air quality and respiratory illnesses in Pune. 3. Lifestyle & Wellness News "They didn't let cancer, diabetes and heart disease stop them from travelling" (Dec 22, 2025): A collaborative piece featuring survivors who share practical tips for traveling with chronic conditions. At 17, his BP shot up to 200/120 mmHG; Lancet study flags why child and teen hypertension doubled between 2000 and 2020'' (Nov 12,2025)--A report that focusses on 17-year-old-boy's hypertensive crisis and reflects the rising global trend of high blood pressure among children and adolescents. 4. Scientific Recognition & Infrastructure For promoting sci-comm, gender diversity: IUCAA woman prof highlighted in Nature" (Nov 25, 2025): Covering the global recognition of Indian women scientists in gender studies and physics. Pune researchers find a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way from early universe'' (December 3, 2025)- A report on how Indian researchers discovered a massive galaxy that existed when the universe was just 1.5 billion years old , one of the earliest to have been observed so far. Signature Beat: Health, Science & Women in Leadership Anuradha is known for her COVID-19 reportage, where she was one of the first journalists to provide detailed insights into the Covishield and Covaxin trials. She has a dedicated interest in gender diversity in health and science, often profiling women researchers who are breaking the "leaky pipeline" in STEM fields. Her writing style is scrupulous, often featuring interviews with top-tier scientists and health experts from various institutions. ... Read More

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